Block laying guide



Feb. 27, 1951 J. A. CARINI BLocx LAYING GUIDE Filed Sept. 2, 1949 i Lg.

INVENTOR. Joh/7 A. Car/'rif ILIATT NEY Patented Feb. 27, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BLOCK LAYING GUIDE John A. Carini, South Glastonbury, Conn.

Application September 2, 1949, Serial No. 113,790

This invention relates to masons tools in general. More particularly this invention relates to block, brick or tile laying guides.

This invention is an improvement over the block laying guide disclosed in my application Serial No. 17,721 led March 29, 1948. Q

An object of this invention is to provide an improved block laying guide that enables persons with substantially no experience to lay blocks in a professional manner. y

Another object of this invention is t provide an improved block laying guide for use in manually laying individual blocks such that parallelism and substantially exact linearity of the block course may be maintained.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved block laying guide adapted to be used in guiding the laying of individual blocks so that substantially equal spacing both laterally and vertically in a block course may be obtained.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved block laying guide adapted to be used in guiding the laying of individual blocks without altering or disturbing block placement when once set.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide an improved block laying guide that may be readily removed from the wall after the block being placed in the wall is set, said guide being provided with rotatable flattened rod-likeA spacer members that may be rotated to their ilattened sides to permit easy withdrawal thereof from the mortar between the blocks.

Other and further objects of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which it relates from the following specification, claims and drawing.

In accordance with this invention there is provided an improved block laying guide adapted to be used as a guide in laying of cinder and concrete blocks, terra cotta tile, bricks and the like. This device is constructed so that substantially inexperienced men are enabled to lay blocks and the like in a professional manner and maintain parallelism and linearity of the block course. This invention also enables a person using it to space the blocks substantially equally and to control the mortar thickness required without difliculty.

This device is made up of an elongated body member that is adapted to be placed substantially horizontally along the upper edge of a laid foundation course of blocks. Attached to this body member and extending substantially at right 4 Claims. (Cl. 33-180) angles thereto are provided two or more ilattened and rotatable rod-like spacer members that are adapted to lie on the upper surface of the laid course of blocks. These ilattened rod-like spacer members have a maximum thickness dimension corresponding to the thickness of the mortar desired to be placed on the upper surface of the laid course of blocks. However, the smaller cross-sectioned dimension of the spacer members is such that when they are rotated to lie on their flattened sides they may be readily withdrawn from the mortar between the blocks. Extending from the lower surface of the elongated body member are two or more substantially vertical sections, each of a length corresponding more or less to the height or thickness of a block or to the thickness of several bricks and these sections are adapted to engage the outer surfaces of the laid course of blocks or bricks when the elongated body member is supported along the upper outer edge of the laid course of blocks or bricks by the rod-like mortar gauging members.

Extending from the upper surface of the elongated body member are two or more vertical members provided for the purpose of guiding the laying of the next course of blocks or bricks. A spacer stud provided for the purpose of spacing the end of one block or brick from the adjacent end of another block or brick is attached to one end of the elongated body. The spacer stud may be positioned both above and below the center of the body member in such a manner that it may be used either in one pivot hole or the other for laying a course of blocks either from the right or left. This operation then necessitates that the guide shall be inverted to change the direction of' progression from one side to the other.

Other features of this invention will be set forth hereinafter in the detailed description of the drawing in which briefly Fig. l is a perspective view showing the application of this block laying guide to the construction of a brick or block Wall;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view showing one end of this device on a larger scale;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front view showing one end of this device on a larger scale;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view along the line 4-4 or Fig. 2 of one of. the flattened rod-like spacer members; and

Fig. 5 is a detail View of one end of the hand. bar and lever pivoted thereto.

Referring to the drawing in detail there is illustrated in Fig. l a View of the application of this block laying guide to the laying of a course of block upon a previously laid course. The elongated body member Ill of the device is positioned alongside of one of the top edges of the laid course of block II and is held in this position by a pair of rod-like members I2 pivotally attached thereto at spaced points.

The rod-like spacer members I2 are preferably made of round stock the opposite sides IZa of which are cut away or flattened as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The portions of these rod-like spacer members I2 that are journaled in the bearing sleeves I3 are preferably left round so as to provide well tting bearing surfaces in these sleeves. Suitable threaded holes are provided in the ends of the rod-like spacer members I2 for receiving the machine screws III which hold the levers I5 keyed in place on the ends of these members I2. The holes formed in the levers I5 for engaging the rod-like spacer members I2 are provided with flattened sides to engage corresponding flattened sides of the ends of the rod-like spacer members I2 in order to prevent turning of the levers I5 with respect to the rod-like spacer members I2. The ends of the levers I5 are pivotally attached to the ends of the hand bar I6 which is provided for manually rotating the levers I5 and the rod-like spacer members I2. The ends of the hand 'bar I 6 are provided with angular abutments for engaging sides of the corresponding levers I5 and for limiting motion of the hand bar I6 and the levers I5 as well as the angular motion of the rod-like spacer members I2.

The coil spring vI8 provided between one of the levers I5 and the handle bracket I1 functions to maintain the rod-like spacer members I2 normally with their thickest dimension disposed vertically for the purpose that will be described in detail hereinafter.

Each of the sleeves I3 has several functions. One of these functions is to hold the cross pieces I9 assembled With the body member IU and for this purpose the portion I3a of the sleeve I3 is made of reduced cross-section to t into corresponding holes formed in the body member I0 and the cross pieces I9 so that these cross pieces abut against shoulders I3b of the corresponding sleeves I3 while the ends of the sleeve portions I3a of reduced diameter may be riveted or peened against the body member III to hold the cross pieces I9 assembled with this body member. The insides of the sleeves I3 are provided with shoulders I3c that protrude into these sleeves and engage corresponding shoulders on the rod-like spacer members I2 to prevent axial movement of these rod-like spacer members.

As mentioned above the cross members I9 are attached to the side of the elongated body member I0 and these cross members are provided yfor the purpose of lining up the body member IG with the side of the laid course of block i I. For this purpose the cross members I9 are bent to straddle the body member I9 at right angles thereto so that the inner surfaces 29 of the cross members I9 are coplanar with vthe surface 2I of the body member I0.

The surfaces 29 of the depending portions of the cross members I9 are placed against the side of the laid course of block II and the rodlike spacer members I2 are Placed on the top surface of the laid course of block. The spacer stud 22 which is in the upper hole of the plate 23 that is riveted near the left hand end ofthe body member l0, is placed against the'end of 4 the block IIc. Mortar IIa is then placed on the top surface of the laid course of block II to a depth corresponding substantially to the greater thickness of the rod-like spacer members I2. Another block IIb shown in dotted outline in Fig. 1, is then placed upon the mortar IIa so that its side abuts the surfaces 20 of the upper portions of the cross members I9. Care must, of course, be taken to see that the surfaces 20 of the depending portions of the cross members I9 abut the side of the laid course of blocks while the block I Ib is being positioned against the surfaces 29 of the upper portions of the cross members I9 so as to obtain a straight wall with the individual blocks thereof parallel.

As mentioned above the spacer stud 22 is attached to the support 23 that is attached to one end of the body member I0, to gauge the spacing between the adjacent ends of the blocks. This spacer stud 22 is also interchangeable with other spacer studs of different thicknesses so that the spacing between the adjacent ends of the blocks may be changed if desired. This will provide spacing to correspond with the proper size of rods to be used where so desired.

After the blocks are positioned in proper relation with respect to the laid course, the device is withdrawn by means of the handle 24 that is attached to the body member I0 by the brackets II.

Prior to and during the withdrawal of the block laying guide spacer members I2 from their mortar gauging position between the newly laid block and the previously laid'blocks, the hand bar I5 may be worked back and forth so as to rock the levers I5 and rotate the rod-like spacer members I2 substantially through an angle of against the tension of the spring I8. Thus the rod-like spacer members I2 are gently loosened and may be tilted so that they present their thinnest dimension to the block surfaces to facilitate removal thereof from between the blocks. As previously mentioned the angular movement of the rod-likemembers I2 is'limited substantially to 90 and the normal position of these rod-like .members is such that the largest diameter thereof is vertical when the block laying guide is in position on a wall. This normal position is defined by the angular abutment I 6b of the left hand end of the hand bar I6 which abutment engages a side of the left hand lever I5 as shown in Fig. 5 through the biasing action of the spring I8. A complementary angular abutment is provided on the right hand end of the hand bar I6 for engaging a side of the right hand lever I5 when the hand bar I 6 is manually moved to the right against the tension of the spring I8.

When the block laying guide is removed from under the laid block it is placed on the laid course of block in the Successive position for the correct placement of the next and following block.

While I have described this invention with respect to a certain embodiment thereof in detail, it is of course understood that it is not desired to limit this invention to the exact details described except insofar as they may be set forth in the following claims and except as so far as the invention may be limited by the prior art.

I claim:

l. A block or brick laying guide for use in guiding the manual laying of individual blocks upon a previously laid course in the construction of a wall comprising an elongated body member, a pair of rod-like members rotatably attached to said body member at spaced points, said rodlike members being adapted to rest on the top of the laid course of blocks to hold said body member horizontally along the top edge of the laid course of blocks and having one thickness dimension corresponding substantially to the thickness of mortar desired between the courses of blocks, a handle connected to both of said rodlike members for rotating said rod-like members simultaneously to work said rod-like members loose from between the blocks to facilitate withdrawal thereof and a plurality of narrow guide members .ex-tending up and down from said body member when 'said body member is in a horizontal position` to guide the laying of the next course of, blocks.

2. A block or brick laying guide for use in guiding themanual laying of individual blocks upon a previously laid course in the construction of a wallcomprising an elongated body member, a pair ofthinv rod-like members journaled in said body member at spaced points and extending substantially at right angles to said body member, a pair of levers, one of said levers being attached to one of said rod-like members and the other, of said levers being attached tothe other of. said rod-like members, said rod-like members being adapted to rest on the top of the laid course of blocks to hold said body member horizontally along the top edge of the laid course of blocks to dene the positioning of the next block-,said rod-like members having a maximum thickness dimension corresponding substantiallyto the thickness of mortar desired for the nextcourse of blocks and a minimum thickness dimension that is substantially less than said maximum thickness dimension, means including said levers for holding said rod-like members with said maximum 4thickness dimension upright on the laid course of blocks and manually operable means connected to said levers for rotating said rod-like members to work them loose after the next block is laid in place thereover to permit easier withdrawal thereof from between the blocks. Y

3. A block or brick laying guide for use in guiding the manual laying of individual blocks as set forth in claim 2 further comprising a pair of cross pieces attached to said elongated body member for guiding the laying of the blocks so that the exterior face of the wall formed thereof is substantially in one plane, a pair of sleeves functioning as the journals for said rod-like members, said pair of sleeves being positioned in holes formed in said cross pieces and said elongated body member to retain thesein assembled relation.

4. A block or brick laying guide as set forth in claim 2 wherein the means for holding said rod-like members with said maximum thickness dimension upright comprises a spring attached to one of said levers and means for limiting the angular motion of said rod-like members.

JOHN A. CARINI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PAiI-'NTS 

